The present invention relates generally to communication devices, more particularly to wireless communication devices having the capability of releasing a service lock.
In a wireless communication system such as a cellular telephone network, a subscriber generally has a subscription contract with a service provider for a certain subscription period to use his or her wireless communication device within the system. The subscription contract typically imposes a penalty to the subscriber if he or she terminates the contract before the subscription period expires. After the expiration of the subscription period, the subscriber is no longer bound to the service provider by the subscription contract, and may seek a different subscription contract with a different service provider. On the other hand, the subscriber may continue using his or her wireless communication device with the current service provider""s system under the terms described in the original subscription contract or a new subscriber contract.
Many wireless communication devices have a service lock that secures its configuration information. If the subscriber is aware of the expiration of the subscription period and desires to have a different subscription contract with another service provider using the same wireless communication device, then the wireless communication device must be xe2x80x9cunlockedxe2x80x9d or released from a current configuration set by the current service provider in order to accept a new configuration to be set by a new service provider. The current configuration may be xe2x80x9cunlockedxe2x80x9d or released by obtaining an access code from the current service provider and entering it into the wireless communication device. The wireless communication device is ready to accept a new configuration if entry of the access code is successful.
Unfortunately, the subscriber may not be notified of the expiration of the subscription period, and may not even be aware that the subscription period has expired. Accordingly, there is a need for a device having an improved and convenient method for releasing its service lock.